ginkgo
by creamblaise
Summary: A white figure approaches Itachi on the night of the massacre, resulting in a different outcome. [Follows Itachi and his story]
1. Chapter 1

"Clan politics." Itachi stated simply with a fleet of kunai in hand.

The reddening moon hung in the sky, obscured by the drifting clouds. The smell of rotting flesh mingled with the stale air, dusting one's lungs with ash. A fresh kill stained the Uchiha compound, marking the start of his mission. He tried to not let the widow phase him, but couldn't help the surge of sickness at the silent blow to the victim's head. Itachi recalled this woman, aged sixty-seven, who pounded dough in the early days of his youth; she always gave him a generous amount of sweet bread, and would thoroughly fluff the yeast with her rough hands. He fled the scene, suppressing the memories that came with fulfilling his duty. Farewell, to a lost boyhood.

Eventually, with each kill, it became easier, and that disturbed him greatly. Of course, he wasn't alone. Although the man, who claimed Madara's name, stirred suspicion, Itachi entrusted him with the same task of eliminating the Uchiha clan, with the exception of his little brother. Having someone there, even if they had differing philosophies, was better than nothing. However, the burden weighed heavily on his shoulders regardless.

He slipped into the house, sneaking along the cool tile of the hallway. Left, right, another right, two lefts, three more rights into room where stuffing littered the floorboards. Itachi side-stepped the playthings, from stuffed-shuriken to rolls of writing, and he cornered the bubbling blanket where tiny snores shook. Barely a couple months old, eleven to be exact, and was birthed to a family friend, and also the clan head's wife. The little one slept still, and he had flushed cheeks inside the tucked crib.

Itachi's fingers slid into his pockets, retrieving a single kunai. He bit the inside of his cheek, in the middle of slicing open the babe's neck when an unwelcomed visitor disquieted him. He did the deed in one go before climbing out the window. His breathing slowed, appearing almost dead, and he escaped to the roofs of those that were slayed. It was going to be a long night.

A white masked, blank, aside from the two slits, flashed before Itachi.

"Yo, long time no see!" They joked, and the tone wasn't enough to give away whether it was a he or she. The person before the Uchiha was certainly not one he knew, or could recall at the moment, but the familiar bandages that wrapped around the wrists and joints, black in color, was like deja vu.

Sliding the the blade from its scabbard, Itachi rested it dangerously close to the nameless individual's neck in a blink of an eye. Nameless had a lean built, and defensively put up their hands in the face of Itachi, taking another jab at him, "Hey, hey, I didn't make plans to go to hell tonight." And as they spoke with laughing-eyes, a sudden grip on the blade overwhelmed Itachi, as the tip that was previously pressed up against their neck slammed into the tile beneath. They escaped Itachi's hold, distancing themselves a great deal before rounding their own weapons. The onlooker wanted some peaceful conversation, but time got in the way, and Itachi glared. He wasn't in the mood. With a brother to protect, and an ANBU job to complete, he frowned.

"Clan politics." Closing his eyes, Itachi repeated the one-worded explanation like a broken record.

A head of black, tied into a ponytail that barely ran past their shoulders, looked up at Itachi. Dual blades so flat and shaded that only with a dojutsu could one take notice, extended outward in each hand. The user sighed, shaking their head, "You know it's never all-or-nothing when it comes to these things, Itachi." They met with Itachi's sword, deflecting its mastery by rounding the twin cuts upward before narrowly evading the row of shuriken that came simultaneously. Nameless went under, slashing at his sides and landing on the metal piece of katana; a jumping-off place to hurl themselves away from Itachi once more, as the roof shingles broke the blow from their sandals. The sight of red caught them, as Itachi revealed his eyes.

Running after the figure, Itachi quickly formed handsigns to bring about a shadow clone to corner his opponenent. Nameless nimbly blocked the incoming blades with their own, slamming a heel on the hilt of Itachi's sword in an attempt to disarm him. Unsuccessful, they waved their hands in fake surprise, "Hey, two-against-one, that's not fair!" A violent sweeping movement knocked up the suspect's balance, and Itachi's sword left an open gash where red spewed. Uneccessary kills were not apart of the plan, but if someone got in Itachi's way, he would remove them without batting an eyelash. Afterall, he couldn't even spare his own blood, muchless a stranger.

Nameless dropped the blades into their placeholders, and the bandages, like black rat snakes, covered the wounded spot as they knotted them. Unraveling the binds along their wrists with teeth, nameless threw smoke bombs in a haste, and a thick cloud surrounded the two. Once the fog cleared, nameless was out of Itachi's reach, and had retreated their weapons to signal that fighting would be kept to a minimum. Another sigh left them, and they spoke up once more, poking fun at the situation,"Ah, looks like you've found me! And," a swift set of shuriken left their finger tips, knowing fully that Itachi, out of all ninja, would dodge the mock attack with ease, "it looks like my identity ain't much of a secret anymore." They perched on the telephone pole, moonlight outlining their silhouette as they stared directly into the sharingan through the slits of a white mask.

Fingers expertly slid the false face upward, revealing their lazy right eye and a smirk, and they let another dangerous remark slip, "You can do what you want, Itachi. Don't care. But-" the strips of black material tighten around their forearms, "I absolutely won't let you turn this place into a bloodbath."

* * *

 _Ah, I hope the pacing is alright! Please review and let me know how you feel about it! I always wanted a story where Itachi ends up living, differently, I mean!_


	2. Chapter 2

"What?" speaking as if they were above suspicion, "I did say I absolutely wouldn't let _you_ turn this place into a bloodbath."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the highly suspicious character, who he deduced to be none other than Hui( _慧_ ), a prankster from his academy days. Really, that took him way too long, but he never paid too much attention to the lazy ninja-in-training. After all, he was the prodigious Uchiha, supposedly able to hold his 'cool' better than most. People like Hui were simply supporter-types, from what he could tell. But more importantly, a member of Shisui's genin team, as his best friend would joke good-naturedly about the group's silly antics (mostly relating to Hui). The rest, remained as much of a mystery to him - the willingness to shoulder the murder of the entire Uchiha clan, the reasons as to why the sharingan at least _appeared_ ineffective, the lacking motives, and so on. He didn't feel threatened, because only amateurs would rely so heavily on eye techniques without training themselves in other assets, but Hui seemed more of a runner than anything.

Hui was met with intimidating silence, and could tell that Itachi was processing the situation at hand. Taking the lack of responsiveness as a signal to fill in the blanks, a bored explanation followed, "Like hell I was going to let you turn Sasuke into a killing machine. You should know that I prefer books that tell good stories, not lame tragedies," the bindings around their arms tensed, and carried the scent of hundreds of lost souls, to which Itachi internalized his disgust, "and, my only desire is to protect Konoha, the Uchiha name just happens to be a bonus. And of course, as much as our village's past hates to admit it, the Uchiha are critical to the revival of..." In the middle of the trailing sentence, they nodded off as if it spoke for itself, and Itachi of course, knew what Hui had implied.

"Report to the Third, and he'll help you deal with the aftermath." Hiruzen would conjure up a cover story that Hui had acted alone without cause so that nobody would learn of the Uchiha's plans, and also so that Konoha would not be tarnished for its involvement. If Hui took his place, bearing the responsibility for the slaughter of his kin, Itachi would be able to protect Sasuke thoroughly from Root, along with its leader, Danzo. And on top of that, a double-agent to infiltrate the Akatsuki was more than enough to convince him to remain as a poor victim of a mad man's killing spree. The loop-holes that were left only lay in the whether he could fully trust the individual and their abilities. This person was sly, if not more so, than the one who claimed Madara's name; but the opportunity was too good pass. Rather than psychologically traumatizing his younger sibling, repeating old mistakes of deriving power from hatred, a brother-figure would guide him along the right path in restoring their clan.

"Look, I probably ain't the most trustworthy guy based on first-time interactions. But Konoha needs you, and Sasuke, here. And if that's not convincing enough-" a swooping creature found leverage on the strange man's fist, a crow. Except, that was not what drew Itachi in, instead, the faint, red coloration of a four-point pinwheel that the bird donned caught his attention. Of course, who else than, "Half of Shisui's right eye, the one that bastard stole. You'll make better use of it I suspect." The Mangekyō was a secret to behold, and only those who lusted for their own power would be foolish enough to pass up such a chance, and yet there it was, a second pair of eyes to be turned over to Itachi. How the supposed idiot managed such a feat, was up in the air, but more than enough to demonstrate a level of competence to the ANBU captain.

"After you defect from Konoha, where do you plan on heading?" He asked, more out of confirmation than anything else. His mission was taking a different course than previously intended, one built on deception under the all-seeing eyes of Danzo and his men; this three-way, four if you counted Madara (no way could this conversation have bypass a legendary rival of the Shodai), secret would be kept, only disclosed when time called for it.

The mask was still parted a little ways from the Hui's face, though not much could be told from their features as if they wore both genders. "Where do you think?" Another vague response that only the receiving-end would be able to decipher. They fixed the white-covering in place, handling the last of their kunai and shuriken while counting the tags. The rectangular glints of their signature weapons were wiped clean of Uchiha blood, and without further ado, they fixed the hitai-ate in its rightful place with a knowing-look, pleased as if the circumstances hardly pained them. "Man, I'm such a hypocrite. I hate cliches, but it looks like I am becoming one."

With that, Hui dispersed, leaving Itachi to confront his little brother after he'd arrived home from the Academy.

* * *

 _Two years later_

Musing at the idealistic speech given by an obnoxious bartender, who busied himself with shining the wine glasses until they were one-hundred percent sure it would blind the finest byakugan-user, Hui nodded off, playing it off as they were unable to hold even a shot of hard liquor. In reality, they were catching up on interesting gossip, as a group of angry drunkards would let slip recent news about the Land of Fire, and the downfall of a powerful clan. An entire ethnicity, destroyed in one night by the hands of one shinobi, leaving a skilled man and his innocent brother in the wake of tragedy. Many sympathized, although secretly relished the thought that it was one less, over-powered kinship to worry about. Other happenings included the crumbling relations between the Land of Water and Lightning, as the amount of tension left many to assume the possibility of war; a bombing terrorist attack on Iwagakure by one of their own, catching many off-guard; the terrible unfolding of the Chuunin exams, hosted by the hidden sand, in which many lives were unnecessarily sacrificed.

A cloaked-man seated himself beside Hui, eliciting a twitch from the missing-nin of Konoha. Fish-face carried a smell that burned the eyes of the pretend-drunk, _saltwater._ It was like an invisible fish market had materialized inside the cheap bar, but the customers were too desensitized by the spirits to bother. But the stranger's order of, "Two shots of Daybreak, go light, though, I have a mission after this," caused Hui to stir, and a glance was all that was needed for the lazy has-been of the Leaf to bail.

The owner mumbled, ready to fire off another one of his infamous lectures, "I thought jounin were suppose to be responsible drinkers. Guess I was wrong." He turned his back to the scaly-skinned man, and Kisame wasted no time slamming his precious Samehada in front of Hui and their attempt to escape. A vicious, shark-tooth grin sent a shudder down the opposition's spine.

 _Shit, didn't think that terrorist group would be hunting me down so soon._ A sharp, cautious turn, and Hui was dangerously close to the sentient swords line of destruction. Waving their hands in a sheepish manner, they pulled a foxy-facade, "Hey, hey, took you guys long enough!" The casual violence was overlooked by those nearby, as they dismissed the outbreak to be a burnt-out ninja releasing some stress through beer and pointless fighting. Of course, the two that were engaged knew that there was more to their little quarrel, and exchanged silent gestures to take it somewhere else.

And so they made headway to the uncharted island's hot springs, a misty turf that put Hui at a disadvantage they were well aware of. The land was famous among its inhabitants for the geysers that infested the stretch of rock, blowing off steam with an immeasurable shot of gas at unpredictable times. In short, a getaway would be impossible without airborne jutsu, and one misstep would leave to a lifetime of scarring, but that shark knew this place like the back of his hand, and took everything into consideration. Man, it sucked, following a snake into its den, and playtime was over for the idle nin, which added to Hui's groaning attitude. Feigning innocence, the lanky-figure placed their arms behind their head and fell into step with Kisame, whistling an annoying, off-key tune to break the quiet.

They halted in the middle of the clearing, and waited until several bursts of scathing water erupted out of the grounds, surrounding the pair in their own, personal conversation like a veil. "So, you were sent to recruit me for the Akatsuki, the terrorist organization that poses a heavy threat to all the great nations and is hunted down tooth and nail?" The statement sounded almost absurd taken out of context, and Hui continued with a blank stare that hinted at another level of danger in its own right, "But more importantly..." they turned in Kisame's direction, meeting his beady pupils head-on, "I'm going to be paired up with _you,_ a fish-face for a partner that reeks of seaweed? Yuck!"

Kisame found the fellow to be rather irksome, and trading blows seemed more inviting than listening to the motor-mouth go off. But wasting his chakra reserves on beating the sly fox was to be avoided if possible. "Yes, we'll head back to the base, west of where we stand, and our leader shall explain any questions you have."

"And, I take that a 'no' is negative?" Hui spoke in mock of the authorities, sounding one of the most classic, cheesiest of lines.

"Of course, unless you challenge me to a fight, of which you would be taken by force. But honestly, I'd prefer if you give me a break, instead of the other way around."

 _Everything was going as plan, a little bit early based on Itachi's calculations, but nevertheless, on point in coordinates and conversation details._ "Alright, alright, Hui, by the way." Slapping the monster-of-the-hidden-mist's back as a sign of peacemaking, the careless gesture resulted in the thickly wrapped sword to smile broadly - a cruel, savage, smile.

"Hoshigaki Kisame," he murmured to an unfazed Hui, "you never intended to fight, did you?"

"Bingo, now, who's this fella?" Staring intently at the renowned backsword, before thoughtlessly reaching out to pet it.

"Samehada, and I suggest you stop that before you die from chakra depletion." He lightened up a bit, at least he knew his partner was able, based on the shark-skin's reaction to Hui's touch. The slight chakra absorbed by Kisame's 'pet' passed onto its owner, and he could tell just by mold, that the goofball had an extensive supply comparable to the puppet master, Sasori of the Red Sand, but certainly not enough to be called a 'tailless tailed beast'. He wondered why, though, out of all the S-rank nin their leader had prepared, that _they_ would be the first to join. Aside from a strange chakra network she or he possessed, not much could be deduced. Was this really the assassin that slayed the entire Uchiha clan in one night? But perhaps, the turn-out of their partnership would be worth it.

"Aye, aye, captain!"

That is, if he could help himself from killing Hui before they even made it past the borders.


	3. Chapter 3

A deadly eye divulged itself to Sasuke, refusing to have nothing short of the finest of...

eggs.

Itachi would wake up on at the crack of dawn like clockwork, dress into an apron, and retrieve an egg or two before wiping out the tray. The tiniest of things, from an eggshell accidentally slipping into the yolk, to the sunny-side up breaking apart after plating, or even the dribbles of sweat that unintentionally fall inside the pan, would drive him to reject such 'atrocities.' He would not let this game beat him, and usually took the task of cooking breakfast way too far; it was a sight to behold, but his younger brother, dealing with the same routine for the last couple of years, face-palmed himself for the umpteenth time. Sasuke entered the room, steering clear of the dozens of platters where a wide-range of toast and grub laid.

A kunai in hand, and a freshly laid egg in the other, Itachi got to work. He caressed the white oval with his knife before striking it in the perfect spot, allowing the clear goop to descend into the skillet and fry. After seasoning the egg with exactly three shakes of salt and pepper, a few seconds had passed (counting each one), and he scoop water into the pan, careful to not overwhelm his creation. A covering would steam it thoroughly, and he timed the pan until the moment of truth - a burst of mist tickled his face, but he would not let it throw him off, after all, Sasuke was waiting, and failure wasn't an option. The spatula aligned itself with the golden center of the egg and slipped underneath, and ended in the delicious serving of victory, right in front of his sibling to witness.

"Big brother-" Sasuke was about to ask something rather urgent, but he knew his older brother would not rest until he judged today's breakfast, and parted one of the yolks with a clean slice. He ate it in its entirety and swallowed. "Under-seasoned." A curt response, which was met with an incoming jab at his forehead and a kind smile.

"You want me to help you train for the upcoming Chunin exams, is that correct?" Itachi finished the question for him.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei suggested that it would be better if I learned from someone who could bring out the full potential of my sharingan," out of habit, Sasuke modestly replied, "but that doesn't mean sensei is going to be totally excluded from my training regime. We plan on developing my ninjutsu as well."

"I see. Well Sasuke, unfortunately for you, it seems that I'll be rather busy these upcoming weeks because of the Chunin exams. Even more so than usual, I will being securing the borders of Konoha in addition to carrying out missions indirectly related to these exams." A look of obvious disappointment reached Sasuke's face, and he beckoned the genin closer, "Maybe another time, Sasuke," finishing with another prod at his unprotected forehead.

Although he played easily into Itachi's palm, Sasuke had matured over the years, picking up the cold facade that the Uchiha were so famous for wearing. Of course, being in his early tweens would result in a sudden drive for independence, and he sometimes fought for that in ways that would backtrack into immaturity. Except, he knew better this time, and simply nodded, "I understand. Kakashi-sensei said that there was a possibly that it would turn out this way, considering the frequent interactions between the nations leading up to the exams. We'll figure something out."

Itachi bid farewell to Sasuke and his mission, glad to oversee the ninja-in-training's growth over the past few years, and he retreated back inside. Gearing up, with a light wash of armor, he secured the hitai-ate. And in matter of seconds, disappeared deep into the ancient forest like wind.

* * *

 _Way north of the hidden stone_

A piece of metal reflected the marvelous rays, flinging Hui's way with such precision that they were forced to catch it, or it would have, without a doubt, pierced them. The ring, thick around the edges but simple in taste, flashed a circle of scarlet and its bold kanji (朱); they pocketed the little trinket. "Woah, easy there, or I could have mistaken that for an assassination attempt!" They joked lightheartedly, fully aware of the irony of their position.

Pale, purple ringlets engaged with Hui, shutting up them up with a single glance. They knew where they stood, building-up a decent amount of confidence among the members that Hui wouldn't die off so easily like Kakuzu's previous partners. Pein began, calling that a meeting was in order, and a circle of hazy figures projected themselves around the dimly-lit candlelight, "We have eight members total, including Zetsu. In order to proceed, as I've stated before, two more are needed." He turned to face the unnerved Sasori, getting the red-head's attention, "We have located a rogue ninja of the hidden stone by the name of Deidara, and ask that you, Hui, and Kisame go retrieve him. He will your partner, Sasori." Opening back up to the rest of the group, he concluded the talk, "I will say this before we finish up here: be on the look out, as the Akatsuki will soon be the most wanted. That is all."

The images faded out, and Kisame let loose a 'hmph', baring his fangs into a grin. "Looks like we'll be working with the puppeteer, though I can't imagine why he'd think a three-man team was necessary to begin with. Sasori is more than capable against a crook, which can only mean...that we'll be dealing with a feisty one, ha." He glossed over at his accomplice, only to find them collapsed on a bed of rock in pretend exhaustion.

"Right...so where do we meet with pretty boy?" Hui yawned, for once, dropping the act out of boredom. They were hard in thought, mindlessly drawing circles with an outstretched arm.

"Zetsu just relayed the information to me, we'll be meeting with him shortly at Sky Rift, just fifty miles due east from here."

Wasting no time, Hui got up, as if being called out of bed to go to school by a parent, and grumbled, "We'll reach him before nightfall if were quick."

The pair exited the remote cave, bounding the rocks in a haste. Sprinting along the narrow trenches of a valley, they followed the winding path where one of the rivers would empty out into the main. Shrubs lightly dabbed the rocky range, providing an earthy tone in contrast to the brown. The frontier homed to earth release was guarded heavily by natural barriers, which made it difficult for the neighboring states to penetrate effectively. It had its disadvantages, one being that adept ninja in small groups could easily sneak past the borders without being detected, but they had to be highly skilled; otherwise, they would alert the patrols.

"You seem too quiet today, Hui. Any quieter and I could've taken that silence as you either 1) plotting to kill me or 2) death at the hands of Kakuzu for pissing him off one too many times. What's on your mind?" Looking to his right at his expressionless teammate, Kisame flashed one of his savage grins. It was rare to see his partner so serious, and he had to admit, kind of miss their stupid act.

Ramming a sandal into the rubble, Hui pushed forward along the hilly tops. "The Chunin exams are coming up in a matter of months, and I got the vibe that that snake is after Sasuke, or should I say, the sharingan. Why else would Orochimaru defect from the Akatsuki?"

"Probably because you turned him down, heh. Or more like," he passed another glance at the mysterious character, "he tried to claim your body and failed, badly."

"Regardless, Sasuke is his target now."

"We're here." Ending their little talk abruptly.

After climbing the jagged range of the lower valley, they approached the great rift. A dense fog aligned itself with this area, giving off the appearance of thick clouds, hence, the _Sky_ in Sky Rift. It was said to be the graveyard of mist ninja in one of the previous wars, forever cursed at the hands of vengeful souls. The humid murk sent sticky sensations along one's skin, and the black robes made the experience all the more uncomfortable. An approaching hunch could be seen, and the shape became more obvious as Sasori came into view. An over-sized cloak on top of an extra layer of skin, made for an unpleasant first-time encounter. Both parties found the topographical features to be troublesome, similar to a bug in one's ear.

"Ah, so this is Sasori of the Red Sand! Man, you're a lot shorter in person, 'pretty boy.' Or maybe I'm just tall." Hui shrugged, meeting the intense gaze of Hiruko, a defensive puppet that the member adorned.

"And you must be Hui, I suspect. One of the newer members." Sasori responded, hoping to cut the small talk.

"Well, now that's out of the way. Zetsu reported that we'll find him in one of the abandoned temples up ahead. Apparently, his presence caused religious groups to flee, blowing up the gates in search of valuables." Leading the way, Kisame picked up the pace, leaving the brooding figure to deal with his pesky partner.

"You want to hear a joke?!" Hui skipped along the path behind their partner, making conversation with the rather slow puppeteer.

"No." Sasori twitched, dreading the weight of his chosen defense. His patience was already wearing thin, and he'd only exchanged a sentence or two.

"What did the artist say to the-" before Hui could finish the question, a scorpion tail came at them at breakneck speeds. The lazy nin leap onto the finely crafted extension, wary of the sheen of poison that coated the armor.

Annoyed that the loudmouth had hitched a ride on his metal contraption, Sasori decided against engaging with Hui, believing that it would shut them up for the time being, "You talk too much."

* * *

A radiant glow illuminated the statues of Buddha that towered over the sacred hall. Their stony stares gave off the sense that they didn't belong, almost foreboding. The setting sun formed shadows along the wooden floors as light peaked through the cracks, and a long-haired man was bent over in concentration before casting a sideways glance at the three-man squad. "Akatsuki?" Like I care! Don't interfere with my appreciation of art." Deidara stood up, and the orange window behind him let loose a cool breeze, outlining his silhouette.

"And I'm supposed to take this kid as my partner...?" Sasori muttered, analyzing the difficult ninja before turning his attention to Hui, who perched on the puppet's tail, "he's feisty, but looks like the type to die young."

"It's our leaders orders...we can use his powers." Hui landed beside the stooping build as they spoke.

"You know about my power? Just who the hell are...?" Tensing his muscles, Deidara felt a a dribble of sweat on his brow.

Kisame interjected, listing what they knew about the bomber's whereabouts, "You're the bomb terrorist who's been supporting the anti-government factions in various lands. What purpose would that serve a rogue ninja like you...?"

"Purpose? I have no purpose! I get requests to set off explosions, so I do. With my creations!"

"Creations?" The bomber managed to piqued Sasori's interest at the moment.

"That's right," Deidara fumbled, enclosing something with his hand before revealing it for the trio to see - a clay sculpture of a spider, "Look! Well, such refined lines, and a form that pursues two-dimensional deform. _This_ is art!" He extended the passionate lecture, "But that's not all there is to my art. My creations flow! When it has shape, it's simply molded into clay. But this-" referring to the mold, "explodes. And the explosion causes sublimation, and for the first time, the essence of my creation appears. That instant of sublimation is when I experience true art."

"Art, is an explosion!" He sounded his voice, so that the chambers echoed with pride.

"How annoying..." Sasori commented.

"Is he done?" Kisame asked, losing interest at the task at hand.

"Who knows..." Hui finished, nearly dozing off. "Ah, never mind...I'll do it." Closing their eyes, they reopened, displaying white pupils surrounded by three discolored tomoe.

Deidara focused in on their odd kekkei genkai. _What's with their eyes?_ _"_ You wanna fight?"

"If I win, you will become a member of the Akatsuki." Hui stated with an air of nonchalance.

The radical scowled, slipping a hand into one of his clay reservoirs, "Don't belittle...me...or my art! My ninjutsu is nothing but noble, refined art."

* * *

Happy New Year to everyone! Thank you for reading.


End file.
